MediaServers

Help in long-overdued validation of community-submitted backends is welcome: this includes a dreambox backend (see ticket:186) and a DAAP (aka. iTunes) backend (see ticket:240)

  1. UPnP A/V MediaServer
  2. Local content
  3. Home content
  4. Home audio/video devices
  5. On-line services

UPnP A/V MediaServer

A MediaServer is in UPnP speak a device that provides media content and directory information about that content. A MediaServer can also provide an interface to upload and modify/remove content and a subsystem to record and store broadcasted content. It can also include a backend to services and devices.

Coherence has several MediaServer including backends.

Quick help with backend configuration is provided here.

Local content

Those backends expose media files present on the local file-system.

  • Filesystem?: This is a simple backend, exposing files on the filesystem as content in the given directory structure. It is primarily a test-bench for MediaServer functionality, but still fully functional. There is support for album art display: the first file ending in ".jpg" or ".png" that is found inside a media directory is served as the cover image. Experimental support to transcode ogg audio files is included as well. This functionality allows the MediaServer to interface with DLNA MediaRenderers.
  • MediaDB: A more advanced MediaServer as the FFStore Filesystem backend using a SQLiteDB with ID3 tag support and cover art retrieval. This backend is still experimental, with additional dependencies described in the source.

Home content

Those backend expose media content on the local network, as catalogued by other software applications.

Home audio/video devices

Those backends expose media content on the local network, as generated by third-party audio/video devices.

  • AudioCD: exposes the music tracks from an audio CD, inserted in a local drive.
  • Axis-Cam?: exposes the video stream of an AXIS IP cam. This is just a simple demonstration on how to act as a proxy for a non-UPnP service.
  • DVB-Daemon: exposes the recorded video file from DVB-Daemon.

On-line services

Those backends exposes media content from remote/on-line services.

  • Flickr: connects to the Flickr service and exposes the content of the "Most Wanted" and "Recent" picture feeds, and the galleries and favorites of a given user.
  • Apple HD Trailers: exposes video trailers from the Apple HD Movie Trailers web site.
  • iRadio: exposes internet radio streams from Shoutcast.
  • Feed: exposes content of user-provided RSS/OPML feeds.
  • last.fm?: exposes radio streams from last.fm radio.
  • Youtube: connects to the YouTube service and exposes the standard feeds (public) and the uploads/favorites/playlists/subscriptions of a given user.
  • BBC?: exposes podcasts from the BBC (other RDF sources may also work - to be confirmed)
  • lolcats?: connects to the LOL Cats and exposes the standard RSS feed. The code for this backend is heavily commented, and provides a good example for those wishing to write new backends.
  • Radiotime: exposes audio streams (radios) catalogued by radiotime.
  • SWR3?: exposes podcasts from SWR3 (German radio). (other OPML source may also work - to be confirmed)
  • TED?: exposes vidcasts from TED Talks. (other feedburner feeds may also work - to be confirmed)
  • Miro Guide: connects to the MIRO Guide service and exposes the podcasts catalogued by the service.
  • iTV: exposes the list of video streams from Shoutcast TV.
  • Picasa Web Albums: connects to the Picasa Web Albums service and exposes the featured photos and albums for a given user.
  • Playlist: exposes the list of video/audio streams from a m3u playlist (e.g. web TV listings published by french ISPs such as Free, SFR...)